Batik artist delights guests

Asian artist Sarkasi Said gave a demonstration of his art, silk batik, during a cocktail party held at the Hotel Phoenicia in Floriana.

Mr Sarkasi, who this year is celebrating his 50th anniversary as a professional artist, is in Malta to hold an exhibition of some of his works at the National Museum of Fine Arts, South Street, Valletta.

During the cocktail reception, Mr Sarkasi mesmerised those present when he created a work in just 45 minutes, which he named Phoenician Delight. This was later presented to Hotel Phoenicia by the artist and will be added to the hotel's collection of fine arts.

Batik (from Javanese "to dot" or "point") is a dyeing technique that has been applied to textiles for nearly a thousand years. In Southeast Asia it is both a craft and a revered art form.